stars & diskBird & Flags

text

ABOUT AL ZHEIMER’S DISEASE

• Dementia is a general term for disordersinvolving a decline in memory, thinking, judgment, and learning ability. Although physicians can almost always determine whether a person has dementia, there is no single test that can show whether a person has Alzheimer’s or is at risk for the disease.

• Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leadingcause of death in the United States, with death usually coming as a result of secondary infections such as pneumonia and bladder infections common in incapacitated patients, or from the inability to follow medical instructions.

• Those with Alzheimer’s may, at first, noticemild confusion and difficulty remembering. Eventually, they may fail to even recognize important people in their lives and undergo dramatic personality changes.

• Medication and management strategiesmay temporarily improve the symptoms of the disease, allowing patients to maximize their ability to function and maintain their independence for a while longer. However, there is presently no cure for the disease.

VA RESEARCH ON AL ZHEIMER’S DISEASE: OVERVIEW

• VA researchers are looking at waysto delay or possibly prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. They are also developing new ways to detect the disease, to understand its connection to other illnesses and injuries, and to support those who have the difficult responsibility of caring for Veterans with Alzheimer’s.

• Some VA researchers are working onpotential drug therapies for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s. Others are exploring the genetic and environmental causes of the disease, or studying the best ways to provide long-term care for patients with Alzheimer’s.

• The Alzheimer’s Disease NeuroimagingInitiative, led by VA researchers, is making it easier for clinicians to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages.

• VA’s Center for Imaging ofNeurodegenerative Disease is devoted exclusively to magnetic resonance imaging of the human brain, and is homing in on clues regarding Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases involving the progressive loss of brain function.

SELEC TED MILESTONES AND MA JOR EVENTS

2004 - Took on leadership of a nationwide study to identify brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease

2006 - Established the Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the San Francisco VA, in collaboration with the Department of Defense

2011 - Demonstrated the effectiveness of an insulin-based treatment, using a special nasal delivery system, to possibly help ward off Alzheimer’s

2014 - Found that vitamin E, an inexpensive treatment, can significantly delay functional decline among patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s

2015 - Developed a simple blood test that can be used to predict the buildup of amyloid in the brain, an Alzheimer’s biomarker, with modest accuracy

RECENT STUDIES: SELEC TED HIGHLIGHTS

• Compounds that inhibit two cellularproteins can help remove the toxic plaques found in the brain of mice with

VA research on

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASEAlzheimer’s disease is one of the most common forms of dementia. It involves the deterioration of nerve cells in the brain, which in turn affects thoughts, memory, and language.

(Continued on back)

Photo: ©iStock/Henrik5000

stars & diskBird & Flags

text

VA researchers are looking at ways to delay or possibly prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers with institutions including VA’s Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The accumulation of this plaque is a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. (Brain, March 2016)

• Intranasal insulin detemir, a longer-lasting form of insulin, improved cognitive functioning for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, found researchers with the VA Puget Sound’s Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center and other institutions. (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Jan. 1, 2015)

• People living at higher altitudes may have a 50 percent lower risk of dying of Alzheimer’s disease compared with peo-ple living at lower altitudes, according to researchers with the Puget Sound and Portland VA medical centers. They say oxygen levels might play a part in these findings, but more research is needed. (JAMA Psychiatry, December 2015)

• A classification model based on cognitive and blood protein variables can identify brain amyloidosis (the accumulation of protein in the vessels of the central nervous system).

Amyloidosis is associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This research was part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. (Neurology, Feb. 17, 2015)

• Traumatic brain injury in older Veterans was associated with a 60 percent increase in the risk of developing dementia, found researchers with the San Francisco VA Health Care System. This research suggests that Veterans who have had a traumatic brain injury may be more likely to develop dementia in the future. (Neurology, July 22, 2014)

• Taking supplemental vitamin E may slow functional decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, found a multicenter VA research team. The study showed that the vitamin added, on average, six months of better cognitive functions for patients with this progressive disease. (JAMA, Jan 1, 2014)

• Younger blood may possess rejuvenating properties that could affect aging and degeneration in the brain, according to a literature review conducted by VA Palo Alto and Stanford University researchers of

studies involving animal models. This finding suggests promising avenues for future research on blood-borne brain rejuvenation. (JAMA Neurology, October 2015)

• Prisoners of war (POWs) and Veterans with PTSD may be at increased risk of dementia, according to researchers with the San Francisco VA Health Care System. This retrospective study showed the risk of dementia was increased in those Veterans studied who were POWs or who had PTSD, with the greatest risk existing in those who both had PTSD and had been POWs. (Alzheimer’s & Dementia, June 2014)

For more information on VA studies on Alzheimer’s disease and other key topics relating to Veterans’ health, please visit www.research.va.gov/topics

AL ZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Updated September 2016 • For a digital version of this fact sheet with active links to sources, visit www.research.va.gov/topics